UK News

[ad_1] Image copyright @Keith63685164 Image caption Thousands of homes were plunged into darkness A major power outage plunged large areas of Portsmouth into a blackout earlier this evening.A fault at a network primary substation caused a power cut to 50,000 homes and businesses across Portsmouth, Waterlooville and Gosport.The area was without power for 30 minutes from 21:00 GMT.Scottish and Southern Electric are investigating what caused the fault but the "important

[ad_1] Image copyright Reuters The Duchess of Sussex has met Take That as she attends the Royal Variety Performance for the first time. She wore a black-and-white sequinned Safiyaa dress for the charity gala at the London Palladium on Monday night.The duchess told the pop group: "I'm looking forward to seeing you closing the show."Meghan and Prince Harry are also being entertained by singers Rick Astley, George Ezra and the

[ad_1] Image copyright Kingsbridge Police Image caption A double-decker was stolen and driven around Dartmouth Three children have been arrested after a double-decker bus was stolen and driven around Dartmouth.Kingsbridge Police were called to the town's park and ride on Townstal Road at about 16:40 GMT on Sunday.Three boys, aged between 13 and 14, were detained in a nearby field and arrested on suspicion of aggravated vehicle-taking. Police said the

[ad_1] Image caption The allegations follow a Scotland Yard inquiry into claims of a VIP paedophile ring A 50-year-old man who claimed to be the victim of an alleged VIP paedophile ring in the 1970s and 1980s is to stand trial in March next year.He is not being named for legal reasons but is known by the pseudonym Nick.He appeared by video link for a hearing at Newcastle Crown Court

[ad_1] Image copyright Victoria Richards Image caption The plaque has been removed but Wanstead locals wonder who put it up in the first place A Saddam Hussein memorial plaque that appeared on an east London bench has been removed.It read: "In Loving Memory of Saddam Hussein" and it is not clear who left it there or what their intention was.Wanstead resident Victoria Richards told the BBC it appeared on the

[ad_1] Image copyright RSPCA Image caption RSPCA officer Alison Sparkes said Jamie the hamster was "thirsty, but OK" after his ordeal A pet hamster which was trapped in a tiny pipe for six days was freed thanks to a miniature ladder created by an animal welfare charity officer.The RSPCA was called when several attempts to rescue Jamie the hamster failed. He got stuck in the pipe during an escape from

[ad_1] Image copyright TwitterUK Image caption John Lewis (the man, not the shop) When does Christmas officially start for you? For John Lewis, it starts as early as November. And no, we're not talking about Christmas ads. We're talking about the American man who spends every Christmas letting people know that he's not the major British retailer that goes by the same name."I joined Twitter in 2007 but it was

[ad_1] Image copyright DVSA Image caption A deer can be seen crossing a snowy country road in one clip Computer-generated clips of snow, wind, rain and other adverse weather conditions are being included in an updated driving theory test.The hazard perception section requires learner drivers to watch a simulated journey and spot "developing situations" on the road.The 23 new scenarios added by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency also include

[ad_1] Image copyright Metropolitan Police Image caption Jessica Urbano Ramirez was described as 'loving, kind-hearted and caring' A 12-year-old girl who died in the Grenfell Tower blaze begged firefighters to hurry up in a 999 call and was told they were on their way.The inquiry into the fire, which killed 72 people in June 2017, heard Jessica Urbano Ramirez had left her flat on the 20th floor.She went up three

[ad_1] Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Two Staffordshire men admitted charges after an attack on the TalkTalk website Two friends who took part in a £77 million hack on the TalkTalk website have been jailed.Matthew Hanley, 23, and Connor Allsopp, 21, both from Tamworth in Staffordshire, admitted their roles in the massive 2015 data breach which affected 1.6 million accounts.Hanley, described as a "dedicated hacker", shared details of more